“Mahulu Hake ʻi ha ʻAho Ako Soka Lelei,” Kaumeʻa, Nōvema 2023, 14–15.
Mahulu Hake ʻi ha ʻAho Ako Soka Lelei
Naʻe ʻikai fuʻu fiefia ʻa e fefiné. ʻE lava nai ʻa ʻIsimeli ʻo tokoni?
Naʻe hoko ʻa e talanoa ko ʻení ʻi Polivia.
Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻIsimeli ʻi heʻene hū atu ki tuʻa ki he laʻaá. Naʻá ne ʻalu mo Papá (Papa) ki he paʻaké. ʻI heʻena lué, naʻe puke ʻe ʻIsimeli ʻa e nima ʻo Papá mo toʻotoʻo ʻene foʻi pulu soká. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa ʻIsimeli ke feohi mo Papá—tautautefito ki he taimi naʻá na vaʻinga soka aí!
ʻI heʻena aʻu ki he pāká, naʻe sio takai ʻa ʻIsimeli. Naʻe taʻataʻaki vao ha fefine ʻo ofi ki he malaʻe vaʻinga soká. Naʻe ʻeveʻeva ha fāmili ʻi he lueʻanga ʻi he tafaʻakí. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke vaʻinga ha taha ʻi he malaʻe soká. ʻE ʻataʻatā ʻaupito ʻa e ako soka ʻa ʻIsimeli mo Papá.
“Maau ke vaʻinga?” Ko e ʻeke ange ia ʻa Papá.
“ʻIo!” Naʻe lele ʻa ʻIsimeli ʻi he vave taha naʻá ne lavá ki he loto malaʻé. Naʻá ne lele afeafe, ʻaka tautea mo ʻaka mei he tulikí.
Naʻe ʻakahi lahi ʻe Papá ʻa e foʻi pulú. Naʻe ʻalu ia ʻi ʻolunga ʻi he ʻulu ʻo ʻIsimelí!
Naʻe talaange ʻe ʻIsimeli, “Te u lele ʻo ʻomai.” Naʻá ne lele ki he tuliki ʻo e loto ʻataʻataá ʻo toʻo hake ʻa e foʻi pulú. Naʻá ne sio ki he fefiné ʻokú ne kei keli pē ʻi he ʻulí ke taʻataʻaki ʻa e vaó. Naʻe mataʻi helaʻia ʻa e fefiné.
Naʻe ui atu ʻa Papá, “Te u leʻo kolo au he taimí ni. Sio angé pe te ke lava ʻo ʻakahi ke hū!”
Naʻe lele ʻa ʻIsimeli ʻo foki mo ʻakahi ʻa e foʻi pulú ki he koló. Naʻe kakapa atu ʻa Papá ke puke ia ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne maʻu.
“Huuuu!” Naʻe fiefia ʻa ʻIsimeli ʻi he tau ʻa e foʻi pulú ʻi he netí.
Naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuo ʻosi atu ha houa ʻe taha. Naʻe talaange ʻe Papá, “Kuo taimi ke ta ʻalu ki ʻapi.”
Naʻe sio ʻa ʻIsimeli ki mui ki he fefine taʻataʻaki vaó. Naʻá ne fakakaukau, ʻoku ʻikai fakafiefia ʻa e ngāue ʻi he laʻaá ʻo hangē ko e vaʻinga soká. Naʻá ne loto ke fakafiefiaʻi ʻa e fefiné. Fakafokifā kuó ne maʻu ha foʻi fakakaukau.
Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange, “Papá, ʻokú ke pehē ʻoku lelei ʻa e ngāue ʻa e fefiné?”
“Ko e hā?” Naʻe sio atu ʻa Papá ki he fefiné. “ʻOi, ʻio.”
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻIsimeli, “ʻOku ou tui ʻoku totonu ke ta ō ʻo talaange kiate ia!”
Naʻe talaange ʻe Papá, “Ka ʻoku fiemaʻu ke ta fakavavevave ki ʻapi. ʻOku tatali mai ʻa Mamá (Mami) kiate kitaua.”
Naʻe siofi ʻe ʻIsimeli hono holoholoʻi ʻe he fefiné hono laʻé. Naʻe fakaʻau ʻo mālohi ange ʻa e ongo ke talanoa ki he fefiné. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “ʻOku ou ongoʻi moʻoni ʻoku totonu ke ta talaange ki ai.” Naʻá ne puke ʻa e nima ʻo Papá ʻo na lue atu ki he fefiné.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe ʻIsimeli mo taʻataʻalo ki he fefiné, “Mālō e lelei ki he pongipongí ni.”
Naʻe ʻikai ke sio hake ʻa e fefiné. “Ko e hā hoʻo meʻa ʻoku fiemaʻú?”
Naʻe lava ke tala ʻe ʻIsimeli naʻe ʻikai ke ne fuʻu fiefia. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke loto-foʻi ai [ʻa ʻIsimeli]. “Naʻá ku loto ke tala atu ʻokú ke fakahoko ha ngāue mātuʻaki lelei!”
ʻI he taimi ko ʻení, naʻe sio hake ʻa e fefiné kiate ia.
Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻIsimeli. “Fakamālō atu ʻi hoʻo tokangaʻi ʻa e paʻaké!”
Na‘e malimali ange ʻa e fefiné. Naʻá ne pehē ange, “Mālō ʻaupito.” Naʻe toe lahi ange leva ʻene malimalí. “Mālō ʻaupito.”
Naʻe ongoʻi fiefia ʻa ʻIsimeli ʻi heʻene lue ki ʻapi mo Papá.
Naʻe pehē ange ʻe Papá, “ʻOku ou tui naʻe mahuʻinga kiate ia ʻa e meʻa naʻá ke lea ʻakí. ʻOku ou fiefia ʻi hoʻo fakafanongo ki he ongo naʻá ke maʻú.”
“Mo au pē.” Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa ʻIsimeli ʻi ha kiʻi taimi siʻi. Naʻá ne fehuʻi ange leva, “ʻOkú ke pehē ko e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ia?”
Naʻe kamokamo pē ʻa Papá. “ʻOku ʻomi ʻe he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi ha fakakaukau ke tau tokoniʻi ʻaki ha taha. Pea ko e meʻa tofu pē ia naʻá ke fakahokó.”
Naʻe malimali ʻa ʻIsimeli. Ko ha kiʻi meʻa siʻi pē ʻa e talanoa ki he fefiné, ka naʻá ne ʻai ke toe lelei ange ʻa e ʻaho ʻo e fefiné. Naʻe hoko ʻene fakafanongo ki he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ke toe lelei ange ai foki mo hono ʻahó!
Tā fakatātā ʻa Jennifer Bricking